(5 / 5)

There’s nothing like a good murder mystery to inspire the senses and get the cogs whirring as to whodunnit. Yet, with Rope we are aware from the outset of the identity of the victim as well as knowing who the guilty parties are. The question is, will they get away with it?

Rope is said to be inspired by a real-life crime: the murder of 14-year-old Bobby Franks in 1924 by University of Chicago students Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb. Written by playwright Patrick Hamilton in 1929, also the year in which the piece is set, this intense, dark comic drama is one that deals with death, power, superiority, and jealousy.

In 1948, Alfred Hitchcock’s film version was released, although several changes were made to the original play- the setting relocated to New York City and various character names and traits altered. It was the first of Hitchcock’s technicolour films but unfortunately it failed to succeed at the box office; with Chicago Tribune‘s Mae Tinee stating ‘if Mr. Hitchcock’s purpose in producing this macabre tale of murder was to shock and horrify, he has succeeded all too well. The opening scene is sickeningly graphic, establishing a feeling of revulsion which seldom left me during the entire film’- not a tactic this cast and creative team needed to rely on.

For anyone interested, there is also a 1983 BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of the play starring Alan Rickman as Rupert Cadell.

Set on the first floor of a London house, two young men have murdered a fellow student, merely for ‘adventure,’ and they have hidden the body in a large chest. In a macabre turn, they host a party for the victim’s oblivious family, utilising said chest as a buffet table! We arrive to an open set- a simple set with large French windows (perhaps to the soul?!), a non-descript chest in the centre and a single light bulb dangling from the roof. We know the action is about to begin when the light bulb flickers and we are plunged into darkness. The lighting in this production is a character in itself- a constant play between light and dark, not only physically (through the use of matches, stage lights, lanterns and much more besides) but also in its qualities and dialogue. We see the growing madness of Granillo, racked with fear and guilt, juxtaposed with the calm, sadistic exterior of Brandon, as well as the genius comic timing and nature of Sabot, the butler, who seems to be the welcome lightness- with his witty banter and wonderful physical presence..

(Photo credits: Andrew AB)

Physical theatre lends itself perfectly to this production and is employed brilliantly- not only for individual characters and in varying other forms, but, most impressively, to imply the passage of time as the guests make their way around the chest, picking their chosen nibbles, pouring their drinks etc. You could be led to believe that these sections are cleverly improvised but we know they are choreographed to the inch- staging of the highest quality!

Another interesting addition to the staging is the era-appropriate speakeasy style tables and chairs and a piano, placed on the floor either side of the stage where our characters watch the action unfold. During the 1920s, radio also emerged as a cornerstone of entertainment and communication, so in keeping with this idea, we are offered radio-esque announcements which introduce us to each character as they appear for the first time. This not only adds to the atmosphere of the piece but clarifies characters and context for the audience.

The piece is cast perfectly, each performer faultless in their delivery. The dialogue is gripping, despite its age and the aesthetics leave us wanting more. The ‘rope’ is an emblem for everything that this play is about- the physical portion of rope the light bulb swings from and that which is used to kill its victim, the question of how much ‘rope’ will the guilty be given as time ticks by and the thought of the rope which may eventually be used to hang our perpetrators should they be found out.

An innovative, captivating, and timeless performance. Rope is theatre at its most alluring and everyone should see it!

Rope completes its run at Theatr Clwyd on July 20^th.

Rope | Theatr Clwyd

Cast:

Jack Hammett: Wyndham Brandon

Chirag Benedict Lobo: Granillo

Felipe Pacheco: Sabot

Rhys Warrington: Kenneth Raglan

Emily Burnett: Leila

Keiron Self: Sir Johnstone Kentley

Emily Pithon: Mrs Debenham

Tim Pritchett: Rupert Cadell

Creative Team:

Director: Francesca Goodridge
Set and Costume Design: Good Teeth
Lighting Design: Ryan Joseph Stafford
Composer and Sound Design: Dyfan Jones
Movement Director: Jess Williams
Fight Director: Kev McCurdy

Assistant Director: Dena Davies
Casting Director: Polly Jerrold
Company Stage Manager: Lizzie O’Sullivan
Deputy Stage Manager: Natasha Guzel
Assistant Stage Manager: Emma Hardwick

(5 / 5)

Imagine a stormy night in a manor house on Tudor Close in 1968 and there you have it, the start of the murder mystery – Cluedo.

It all began in 1943, when Anthony Pratt challenged his wife, Elva, to create a board game. by way of alleviating the boredom between wartime air raids. Cluedo was born and subsequently turned into the internationally acclaimed murder mystery game we are still playing 75 years later in over 70 countries worldwide.

As a lover of female crime writers, Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers I enjoyed the challenge that Cluedo gave me. Although the two things remained a puzzle to me, what was the motive for murder? and why was Coronal Mustard always the killer? Maybe we were just bad at shuffling the cards.

Writers Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran are also fans of this great game and jointly they embarked on Cluedo 2. Clearly their love of playing the game throughout their childhoods was an inspiration. The characters felt familiar and updated and had a realness about them as they emerged from the game as fully formed personalities rather the more anonymous people on the cards.

Even if, by some remote chance, you have never played or aware of the game Cluedo you will enjoy the unfolding of this who done it.

This Murder/Mystery/Comedy is utter genius, expertly directed by Mark Bell you get a real sense of the scale of the manor and the dashing from room to room.

The set, designed by David Farley, is a triumph. It first appears to be simple and minimalistic but as the play unfolds you get a sense of size and scale of the manor with the ingenious props and moving doors. Farley also designed the first stage production of Cluedo. To come up with another original set that has the ability to allow you to move with the characters from room to room was brilliant I especially enjoyed the billiard room, it was clever and funny.

This was a play in which every cast member was equally important to the plot. The first half was a bit of a slow burn which for people not familiar with the game was invaluable. However, the second half was joyful. Quick, witty and full of fun with British ‘in’ jokes, it did not disappoint.

As Cluedo is an internationally acclaimed game so are the characters. In this production there are personalities from the British isles and across the pond. This led to the discovery that English is indeed the language that separates us rather than brings us together and this was played with great humour and at times almost had a slap stick feel.

The production team of Jason Taylor (lighting designer) Jon Fiber (sound designer) and Anna Healey (movement director) brought so much to the stage. The lighting during the scene changes holds you and then suddenly you are in a different room.

Thank you to an amazing cast of actors for bringing these much loved fictional characters from our imaginations to life. They did not disappoint and gave us an evening of fun and laughter and for the first time I discovered the motive(s).

Even if you are not Cluedo aware, this play will be a great introduction and a fabulous evening out.

(4 / 5)

It’s that time of year again, the Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival has returned. To start, Everyman Theatre presents ‘The Tempest’, the timeless Shakespeare play with a modernised twist.

The play follows Prospero (Lewis Cook, who delivers one of the show’s standout performances), and his well-timed plan to get revenge on all of those who wronged him, who are now- by chance or by magic- stranded on this deserted island with him. Additionally, there are many intertwining plots and many characters. The audience’s favourite was the trio of Caliban (Luigi Challis), Trinculo (Elinor O’Leary), and Stephano (Daniel Ivor Jones). The laughs were consistent with these three’s antics, effortlessly translating Shakespeare’s dialogue into the universal language of comedy.

Other standouts are the young lovers, Miranda (Seren Vickers), and Ferdinand (Sean Rhys-James). Both actors are committed to selling their fledgling romance, and they too offer creative moments of comedy. Performances like these make ‘The Tempest’ an authentic and dedicated rendition of the Shakespeare classic. This- combined with interesting staging ideas and other, additional quirks added into the production, speaks to the ingenuity of director Rich Tunley.

The production design of the play is also rather impressive. The beach-like set- which held out well in the evening drizzle- has many cleverly-used quirks. A standout moment was when Ariel (Amanda Ataou), appears as a Harpy, brandishing wings that look like tattered paper, as the actors behind work to flap them menacingly. It makes for a great effect as the character as she terrifies the onlooking characters. The commitment to this stripped-back ‘beach’ aesthetic, as characters carry around dead logs, and wave worn, tattered flags, blends well with the magical element, which is portrayed through great physical comedy by the whole cast.

This modernisation plays to the production’s benefit, pushing the source material in unique directions. Aside from the obvious – a plane crashes onto the island, like something akin to the series ‘Lost’. But this modernisation also allows for some more modern humour, and for references to more recent songs. The audience was singing along and really enjoying themselves when the actors suddenly burst into a rendition of ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’. On paper, that sounds like it shouldn’t work, but it actually does.

This rendition of ‘The Tempest’ is impressively put together, and crowd-pleasing fun, one that is guaranteed to leave the audience satisfied. The festival can always be counted on to deliver when it comes to Shakespeare, and ‘The Tempest’ is a strong start on what looks to be a promising summer.

‘The Tempest’ is at the Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival, June 22nd – June 28th.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Skylar has returned home to Port Talbot, disillusioned with life in London. Staying with her friend Meg, and meeting up with their other mates Jess & Courtney, all four try to deal with work, love, and life, while hiding behind a mix of drink, drugs and dancing. Meanwhile secrets are gradually revealed, old grudges resurface, and friendships are tested…

This play explodes with an intense energy, and a rhythm of language that is totally alien to me, yet is Port Talbot through and through. I’ve seen a lot of plays that were good, some even great, but not all had that special quality I’ve always looked for, the ‘wow factor’, and this play has it in spades. Written by Holly Carpenter, who also plays Skylar, the latest in our local production line of artists.

We’re famous for making steel here, but what’s not so well known is that we also make art. Burton, Hopkins, Sheen, and many more, we punch well above our weight, and although it might be early, I think we have another talent on our hands. As an actor Holly brings out the vulnerability of Skylar from behind her tough shell, a star turn, but her writing is just as impressive, and she is smart enough to give her fellow actors plenty of stage time.

The cast fully embody their characters, Meg, the calm eye in the middle of the hurricane, yet subtly knowing, especially about Skylar’s return. Jess, the career girl, manager of a travel agency yet with a wild side. Courtney, the ‘quiet’ girl with a secret of her own that might just change everything. And of course Skylar, the ‘hurricane’ itself, an equal mix of fury and doubt.

I found little in common with these four characters, but the fear of being a wage slave, a human hamster on the treadmill, rang a bell with me, as did the healing power of friendship.

For me the highlight was one character explaining their confusion over their sexuality through the medium of types of pie, which was funny, but also incredibly moving.

Jalisa Phoenix-Roberts gives Meg a hidden heart of gold, but with the strength to force Skylar to look at her true self.

Georgia Warlow shows Jess as someone with an anger born of desperation, yet remains a true friend.

Anna-Sophia Tutton portrays Courtney with a sweetness, but also with a subtle yearning.

The set is innovative and clever, a graffiti covered wall with hidden doors, cupboards and even a pull out bench. Director Samantha Alice Jones keeps the pace well, knowing when to ease the reins.

Although marketed as a comedy, and it is a very funny play, it’s also got hidden depths and important matters to discuss. Holly Carpenter has a lot of potential, I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

I don’t want to call it a love letter to Port Talbot but there’s no doubt it captures something of the hope that the town feeds on and the strength of the community within.

And if this is anything to go by, I think I’ve seen a future star.

Dumpy Biscuit is at the Plaza Port Talbot until June 29th.